Wire-rope tramway



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. W. RASMUSEN.

WIRE ROPE TRAMWAY.

No.- 266,520. Patented Oct. 24, 1882.

A F/W (No Model.) 3 Sheets -Sheet 2.

G. W. RASMUSEN.

WIRE ROPE TRAMWAY. No. 266,520. Patented 0013.24, 1882.

W NEEEEE WJKMJA (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3'. 0., W. RASMUSEN.

WIRE ROPE TRAMWAY.

No. 266,520. Patented Oct. 24, 1882.

m i s \XA NE55E5 INJEN UP y 6? WW 1% UNTTED STATES PATENT @EETQE.

CHARLES W. RASMUSEN, OF'CHIUAGO, ILLINOIS.

WIRE ROPE TRAMWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,520, dated October24, 1882.

Application filed June 6, 1881.

'[0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. RAsMUsEN, ofChicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have inventedacertain new and useful Improvement in WireRope Tramways, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of tramways in which a moving endlessrope or cable located beneath the car is used to propel the car alongthe track; and the invention consists of certain improvements instructure, all as hereinafter set forth, and more particularly definedin claims In the accompaiiiying drawings, forming a part hereof,Figurelrepresents a sectionalside elevation of an ordinary car and ofthe tube having my improvements; Fig. 2, a sectional perspective view ofa portion of the curved tube; Fig. 3, a section of a wheel arranged withlaterally-yielding arms, and with the clastic guide-yokes for said arms;Fig. 4, a transverse section of a round tube with the tracks on adiagonal line, as intended for turning a curve; Fig. 5, a similarsection of a tube with its tracks on a horizontal line, as intended fora straight-line track; Fig. 5", a similar section of a square tube withthe track on a diagonal line, as in a curve; Fig. (i, a bottom view ofthe car or dummy; Fig. 7, an end elevation of the car or dummy; and Fig.8, a draw-bridge with inclined tracks, as arranged for moving the carsby gravity lrom .the cable-way on one end to the cable-way on theopposite end of the bridge. Fig. 9 is a plan view of a drawbridge.

Like letters denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

A denotes the tube, which may be round, square, oval, or of any othersuitable shape, and which has a slot on top in the usual manner, throughwhich the car to be propelled is to form a connection with the cable.This tube A is provided internally with double tracks ca for guiding thecarrier-wheels b, that travel upon the lower track, and are guardedagainst jumping off said lower track by an upper or counter track. Thesedouble tracks may be formed inside of the tube by projecting ribs, or bygrooves cast therein. The wheels I) are pivoted upon the ends of axlesB, that carry the cable 0, and clamped thereon by any suita- (No model.)

ble device. Wherever the cable 0 has to follow a curve the track insidethe tube A will change from a horizontal to a more or less diagonallinethat will divide the traction strain of the rope as much as possibleupon the peripheries of both wheels I), and not upon their flanges.

O is the platform or body-frame of the car or dummy, below which arejournaled, in suitable boxes, the axles d, with track-wheels D mountedthereon in the usual manner. Upon about the centerot' said axlesareloosely sleeved the wheels E, having radial arms 0, that arelaterally in position to enter the slot in tube A and engage with theaxles B carrying the cable. These arms 0 are so spaced relative to theaxles B of the cablev that they will engage therewith in succession, inthe same manner as the teeth of a gear-wheel will engage with the teethof a rack, and that said wheels, when not otherwise resisted, will berotated by the motion of the cable at a uniform speed; but when thearmed wheels are resisted, so as to be allowed only a slower speed thanthe speed of the cable, the car will move the difierence of that speed,and ii the armed wheels are held rigid the car will move at an equalspeedwith the cable.

The stopping and starting of the err is accomplished by an arrangementof brake-straps and brake-shoes that are operated simultaneously fromthe platform of the car, as already described and claimed in my formerapplication, tiled on or about February 12, 1881.

The arms 6 of the wheels E may be made of any suitable shape bestadapted for insuring an accurate engagement with the axles B of thecable. These arms a aresccurcd in the rim of the wheels E, either insockets when the wheel is cast solid, or between grooves, when the wheelis composed of two sections bolted together, as represented in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings. These grooves are fitted radially to hold the arms steady,while laterally they are of more width than the thickness of the arms a,and this extra space at each side of the arms is filled with a plate ofrubber,f, or with other elastic material that will permit a lateralyield to the arms.

In place of rubber or similar material for an elastic lining, steelsprings may be interposed between the arms 6 and the sides of the wheeltion-cable that movesit toward the bridge, may

for a like purpose with equal advantage.

While slacking the speed of the car, or while stopping the car entirelywhen passing over a 5 curve of the track, the armed wheels E would ofcourse be rotated, and the danger would he that the arms 6 of the wheelsE might strike upon the solid iron of the tube A instead of entering theslot, and a breakdown would be 10 the consequence, without some devicethat will insure their proper course, and therefore, iorthepurposeot'obviating that danger, I have attached to and sleeved upon the hubs ofeach wheel E a guide-yoke, F, that consists each of 1 5 apair of thinflexible steel plates having small wheels 9 pivoted between their ends.The thus of these wheels g enter the slot of tube Aand follow itscourse, onein advance of'each wheel E and the other in the rear of thesame, and with any deviation from a straight line of the track thesewheels will follow the slot and will bend the yoke-bars into line withthe slot of tube A. The bars that form guide-yoke F are so shaped thatthe arms 6 have to move, in the space between, so as to be laterallydeflected and forced to enter the slot of tube A, one by one, beforethey become entirely free from said guide-yoke.

In cities which are intersected by rivers or water-channels that, forthe purpose of not interfering with theshipping traffic, have to bespanned by draw-bridges, it would be impossible to have a continuouswire-cable way -for driving cars over the bridges, This difficulty Ihave solved by a very simple and practicable device that I will nowproceed to describe.

II is a draw-span of any usual construction, that will turn upon thecentral pier J, and will connect the abutments K and L, each of which istheterminusofawire-cable road.. Theroad- Way of this bridge I dividelongitudinally through the center by a strong railing or fence, S, so asto form a rigid division of the ways for wagons movingin oppositedirections, and

5 these two roadways I build with opposite inclined planes of sufficientgrade that acar will run by the momentum of thecable anditsown gravityuntil it has arrived at the opposite abutment, where the car willagainbe engaged with the other cable. These inclined planes are continued thenecessary distance on each abutment, that the car, beforeleaving thetracreleasethe same at a point where, it brought to a stand before theopen draw, gravitywill start to moveit when the draw is closed. Theseroadways or tracks, being on opposite sides of the bridge inclined inopposite directions, will always be right with the abutments, no matterhow the bridge is turned, and the inclinations need be but very little,and not of sufficient consequence to interfere with the teaming. Thegroove on in the center of each track on the bridge will give room forthe passage of the arms 0 of wheels E.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In cable-tramways, a tube or guidewayfor the cable, having at its curved portions grooves of varyingcurvature or twist, whereby said cable, with its supports, may be givennew direction without undue strain, substantially as described.

2. In cable-tramways, a car drive-wheel the radial arms of which arelaterally yielding, substantially as described.

3. In cable-tramways,the combination, with the drive-wheel of the car,of the radial arms secured therein, and the yielding side supports tosaid arms, whereby a lateral movement thereof is allowed, substantiallyas described.

4. In cable-tmniways, a car drivewheel formed in two halves or sections,in combination with radial arms, and yielding side supports securedtherein, substantially as set forth.

5. In cable-tramways,the combinatiomwith the slotted cable-tube orguideway and of the cable movingtherein, of the car drive-wheel,

having radial arms and a depending yoke to direct said arms,substantially as described.

6. In cable-tramways, the combination, with two traction-cablelines,ot'an interposed bridge or like swinging section having a track ofsingle incline to connect with said cable-lines, substantially asdescribed.

7. In cable-tramways, the combination, with two traction-cable lines, ofan interposed bridge or like swinging section having double tracks ofsingle and reverse incline, to connect with said cable-lines,substantially as described.

0. WV. RASMU SEN.

Witnesses:

F. W. KASEHAGEN, P. SCHREINER.

